A lot has happened since I last posted.  My baby turned 1, we celebrated Advent and Christmas, and we're more than halfway through 2007.  I am new to homeschooling this year, and am battling some "burnout".  I am struggling with "post Christmas" reorganization", regular "keeping up" and schoolwork with my son. 

I often feel like I'm not doing enough, in the way of homeschooling.  However, I did his quarterly report, which I have to send in to "Royal Academy" He has done a lot of work, special projects for the holidays and become a VERY avid reader!  He just started to tackle chapter books, and now cannot get enough!  He's read 2 books in as many days.  I'm proud of his progress (and a little proud of mine).

MY husband has been VERY busy since our "school year" has started.  In addition to being the pastor of a small church (in which he also directs the Worship team AND started a new service this fall) he was also teaching a class on the New Testament.  He hasn't had a lot of time to spend at home.  He decided that he needed to clean up the yard , after the big storm that pummeled us last week.  He statrted yesterday, with Bubbie and Ba-Baron's help.  He did a little more today.  Bubbie took about 3-4 LARGE wheelbarrow loads to dump, in between pushing the baby on the swing.  My husband marvelled at how much help he was.  I secretly felt very proud of my son (and a "teensy" little bit proud of myself for his "good" training).   It reminded me of how I need to continue to focus on how much the kids do to help around the house and appreciate the life lessons that occur every day. 

This week's carnival is up at Spunky's Homeschool http://spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.com/

I haven't posted in a week for 2 reasons: Exhaustion and technological troubles.  After all the festivities for Bubbie's birthday, I was so tired, I didn't THINK to post.  Oh yes, I kept up with reading my favorite blogs, especially Bonny Glen and Cottage Blessings.  I just didn't have the gumption to post. 

Also, I've had some technological difficulties.  I am not able to post pictures from my storage on the internet.  I ran out of space on this site, but have not yet been able to get my pictures to be "bloggable".  I'll keep working on it. 

In addition, here on the coast of Maine, we've been hit with a "whammy" of a wind storm.  We had no power for much of the weekend.  Fortunately, we have a generator, but the cable was down (therefore 'SIGH' we HAD NO INTERNET). 

I am happy to be back posting again. 

8 Years ago today, one of my greatest dreams was realized!  I became the mother of a precious baby boy.  Well, I actually gave birth on that day, but I became a mother 9 months earlier.  I remember the day I found out I was pregnant, March 4th, 1998.  The reason I remember is because it is the day before my husband's birthday, and the day he LOST his brother on the subway.  I took a couple of tests that were negative, so I decided, just for kicks, to take one more.  My husband wasn't home, but it didn't matter, because it was probably going to be negative, anyway.  Alas, imagine my surprise when those 2 LINES showed up!  I was so excited, I told my husband on the phone, when he called from Penn Station, where he was picking up his brother!  He was so shocked that he didn't get on the train!  To make a long story short, we found his brother, and prepared for our new life.  Less than 9 months later, on October 23, 1998, our firstborn came into the world!  Happy Birthday, my sweet son!

I have had a REALLY hard time losing the weight after baby #4.  Finally, in September, 9 months after giving birth, I joined Weight Watchers.  I've been doing really well.  I've lost about 14lbs (I still have 25 to go).  Today, we were doing science, and talking about gravity.  The science book said: "Weight is how much of a pull gravity has on something."  I joked, oh, I don't really have a lot of weight to lose, I just have gravity pulling on me.  Bubby said, "Boy, Mommy, you sure have A LOT of gravity pulling on you!"

We went outside the other day, after it had been raining.  The kids put on their rain boots and dug out their pails and shovels.  I was in the garage, getting the stroller for the baby when I heard Bubby say what I thought was: D@#n.  I was just about to scold him for using a word that is not allowed when I heard the rest of what he said, "Let's make a dam in the puddle".  Oh, I did hear correctly, but it wasn't a bad word, but in the context of a very "creative project".  They set to work.  After about 30 minutes of mud & fun, they did build a very functional dam.  They managed to stop the flow of water through the puddle.  I was VERY proud of them!

You Are Incredibly Logical

http://images.blogthings.com/howlogicalareyouquiz/logic.gif" height="100" width="100"> Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

Don't know how that happened!  I was going to go to law school (my oldest bro is an attorney, and was very excited about my plans), but I did so poorly on the logical reasoning section of the GREs I decided the LSATS would be a bomb!  Oh well, must be all the practice I get debating with my kids (but Mommy, why can't I have jellybeans and chocolate cake for supper, that's bread and veggies, isn't it?) has sharpened my "logical thinking".

We took another field trip to our state museum yesterday.  It was a special program called "Earth Science Day".  My kids were not too impressed with the earth science displays There were a lot of public school kids there.  We could not get close enough to them.  To our great disappointment, the "panning for gold" was all done by the time we got to it. We, however, are learning to be good homeschoolers.  We "took the road less travelled".  We walked around the parts of the museum not part of the special event.  We were the only ones there, save a couple of other homeschooling families.  We discovered the bonuses of leaving the trodden path: We discovered BEAUTIFUL displays (see above), which rival those at the Museum of Natural History in NYC (that's quite a feat for a small state museum in a state with a population of only about 1 million people) and we met some other homeschoolers.  I had a wonderful chat with a mom of 6-with her precious one month old in tow.  That's dedication to your children's education!

My friend Melissa Wiley, over at  "Here in the Bonny Glen"  posted today on the value of giving your time to your children.  This is the greatest gift we can give them.  This is my precious 2 year old Ba-Baron.  I was thinking the same thing tonight, as I read him "5 Little Ducks" for the gazillionth time.  We pause for him to point out every bug, bubble and star.  We read 4 or 5 of the same books every  night.  We always end by talking about :who Loves Ba-Baron?"  We go through the list (Mommy, Daddy, Bubby, etc).  We always end with: "Who loves you the most?" He always answers: "Jesus" (before he could talk, he would sign: "Jesus"!)  Oh, how it make my heart sing to see my boys falling in love with our Savior!  Then we end our session with a special version of "Jesus Loves Me"(complete with signs).  We have such fun!

***You Are Apple Cider***

Smooth and comforting. But downright nasty when cold.

What Part of Fall Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatpartoffallareyouquiz/

In preparation for "Earth Science Day" at  the Maine State Museum, we did a little study of the earth's layers.  Bubby is holding his "model" of the earth's 3 layers: the core, mantle and crust (He took a little artisitc license with the colors). 

 Here is a "volcano" (Obviously a frozen volcano, rather than a molten one)

My precious baby boy is 10 months old today!  I can't believe it!  Boy, how time flies, especially in your baby's first year.

Fall is my favorite season (closely followed by the beautiful summers here on the coast of Maine- or is it, following them?). I love the crispness in the air, the BEAUTIFUL foliage and the anticipation of the Holidays.  We are having a lot of fun homeschooling- I have employed my little helpers to rake (never too early to teach them, right?)  I'm amazed at how homeschooling has brightened my outlook, much as the leaves are brightened by the cool fall nights.  I find myself searching out educational possibilities in all we do, such as raking leaves (and jumping in them!)  I feel like I have been giving a great gift, which I can open a little each day!  I am enjoying my 7 year-old's company more each day, as we learn together!

We've had 2 great field trips so far this fall!  We went apple picking (yes, here in Maine, the apples were falling off the branches, already!). We also took a trip to our state museum for "Bug-Mania".  This is a free event in which different presenters from the "Bug Doctor" (a man who identifies the bugs the children caught) to a proprietor of a "Bug Museum"(one exhibit of which is shown here) exhibit there hobby/profession.  The man from the bug museum had beautiful still lifes of HUGE butterflies in glass enclosed cases as well as "REAL & CREEPY" bugs, such as a footlong centipede and a HUGE Tarantula.  My kids and I had a lot of fun, and learned something in the process!

Well, I didn't actually GO anywhere (except on vacation) and across New England!  I have been toying with the idea of deleting this blog, but thanks to the commentor who cared enough to ask where I was, I have decided to get back in the swing of things.  I have been a little busier due to homeschooling (which has been so much fun, yet not without its challenges), but mostly I have not blogged because I have been so busy reading other people's blogs, that it left me little time for my own.  I think I would like to return to the "homeschooling blogosphere, now". 

I have not posted this week because my husband is away.  I cannot really formulate a coherant thought.  I am having fun with my kids, but am so busy I rarely have time to sit down at the computer. I will hopefully be back with more to say next week. I don't know how all of you bloggers, whose husbands travel a lot get much posting done!  My hat is off to you!

I was going to do an interesting post today about the little "bug ecosystem" going on in our house(more about that later).  However, while we were dropping daddy off to direct music camp for the week, Bucky fell in the bathroom and split his chin open!  We spent all afternoon in the ER!  I'm just thankful we were still with daddy!  I pray to God that the rest of the week is much more uneventful!

Here is a cute pic of my DH with our two year old, a virtual carbon copy of daddy (with lighter hair and eyes).  Life is so much better with a loving spouse with whom one can raise boys.  Daddies are SO important.  Daddy is going away tomorrow, to direct music camp at one of our denomination's camping sites.  We will miss him!  Stay tuned, to see if Mommy survives with 4 VERY active boys, and no daddy with whom to wrestle!

I have been feeling overwhelmed lately.  I am planning to begin "official homeschooling" in the fall.  I find having my 4 children home all day, while balancing housework, fun summer activities and my 7 year old's "school decompression" to be very taxing.  I want to do fun things with them, but it is difficult to fit in things around the baby's 2-3 short naps and my 2 year-old's absolutely essential afternoon nap.  We live in a rural town, which is 20 minutes from most activities.  In addition, I need to fit in grocery shopping and other errands, while staying within my gas budget (which is hopeless these days)! Daily, I vacillate between being sure that I can do this homeschooling thing and feeling hopelessly inadequate. 

My consolation is reading all the supportive info in the "homeschooling blogosphere" as well as taking my inpiration from scripture.  Whenever I feel like I want to chicken out on the homeschooling, I feel the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear: (from Corinthians 10:13) No temptation (my husband informs me that in Greek this word can also mean 'trials') has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted(tried) beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted(tried), he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  I also know that : (from Phillipians 4:13) that: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

So I am determined to keep "...press(ing) on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14).  I know for certain that that prize is having my 4 sons in heaven with me, and right now the best way to train them up to be "Men of God" is having them with me daily to get training which will nurture their faith and grant them a solid foundation of Faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.  And so onward I press...